WEBSTER GROVES – Webster University is set to open 35th season of intercollegiate volleyball here Friday evening as the Gorloks play host to both Lincoln (Ill.) College and Benedictine (Ill.) University in the Webster Quadrangle at Grant Gymnasium.
The Gorloks will open the 2018 season with a 6 p.m. match against Lincoln (Ill.) College and then will face Benedictine (Ill.) University at 8 p.m. Westminster (Mo.) College is the other team participating in the Webster Quad as they will play the same two teams on the other court.
"We are excited about the season. We are relatively young, but we do have three seniors that have contributed on the varsity their entire careers," Webster head volleyball coach and Assistant Athletic Director Merry Graf said. "I think Friday will be a great night of volleyball with a lot of action and I'm happy to host Lincoln and Benedictine and jump into the season"
The Gorloks, who were tabbed to finish third in the Preseason St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coaches' Poll, come into the 2018 campaign welcoming back four starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's 17-14 squad that tied for second in the SLIAC with a 15-3 record. The 17-14 record marked Webster's 17th consecutive season of posting a winning record.
Among the key returners for the Gorloks are senior outside/right side hitter Torie Grassi (St. Louis, Mo./Rasati-Kain), senior outside/right side hitter Samantha Budrovich (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) and senior setter Kelsey Hamann (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo).
Grassi earned Second-Team All-SLIAC honors last season after leading the Gorloks in kills (209), kills per set (2.32), attacks (690) and was fourth in blocks with 30, while Budrovich recorded 127 kills, averaged 1.59 kills per set and had 27 blocks and Hamann shared setting duties with the departed Ashley Robinson and led the team in assists (427) and assists per set (4.74), was second in aces (23) and third in digs with 237.
"Unfortunately, right now, Torie (Grassi) is dealing with a back issue so she is not 100 percent but we hope to have her back soon. Sam (Budrovich) will be a pin attacker and Kelsey (Hamann) will be one of our setters running the offense. With their experience those three will be key components the team," said Graf, who is 339-195 in her tenure as Webster's coach. "We have six freshmen and several of them may see some time on the court."
In addition to those three four-year seniors, the team also returns four juniors and three sophomores that saw action last season.
"Our returners have really stepped up and done a great job so far this preseason." the Webster coach said. "They are clearly smart young women with their GPA of 3.62, so hopefully we can use that on the court."
Graf said the captains for the 2018 season will be Budrovich and junior setter Jenna Rodriguez (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg).
"I think those two players are great leaders, as well as, many of the other players on our team," added Graf.
Webster comes into the season needing to find replacements in the middle and at libero as the Gorloks lost is two top blockers from last season – Rachel Mencel and Emi Beining and also lost its libero, Maria Soffner, a First-Team All-SLIAC selection.
"We graduated two of our middles we used last season. In the spring we added (sophomore) Hayley Taylor (Highland, Ill./Highland) from the basketball team and she continues to improve," Graf said. "(Junior) Taylor Kissell (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) is a versatile middle, but she too, will start the season on the DL due to an ankle injury suffered last weekend. Two freshmen we are utilizing in the middle position are Sam Hoff (Sterling Heights, Mich./Sterling Heights) and Kylie Burke (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West). They both came in primarily as pin hitters and Sam has done some setting, but we've worked with them and feel they are both good options."
Graf said that despite the loss of Soffner, she is encouraged by the players competing for that spot and feeling pretty comfortable with where her team's defense is heading into the season.
"It is always hard to lose a strong libero, but (sophomore) Kristen Farrah (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell) played defense and outside hitter for us last year and she is very comfortable on our court.. She is the front-runner for that libero spot," said Graf about the libero position. "Kyra Gensel (Clarkton, N.C./Harrells Christian), and (junior) Tishara Hicks (Clarksville, Tenn./Garden City CC), are two other defensive specialists could see time on the court."
Webster tuned up for the regular season by playing four scrimmage matches last Saturday at Washington University in St. Louis. At last Saturday's scrimmages, the Gorloks played two sets apiece against Westminster, Blackburn, St. Louis Community College and WashU.
"It was great to scrimmage against outside competition. Those scrimmages allowed us to see things we still need to work on and try to improve those before we get to the actual season," added Graf. "We are feeling optimistic."
Following Friday's two matches, Webster will hit the road for three matches next week as they travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for a 6:30 p.m. CT match on Wednesday, Sept. 5 against Rose-Hulman, before opening SLIAC play next Saturday, Sept. 8 with matches at Greenville against both Greenville and Westminster at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.
"It will be good to play at home this weekend in front of family, friends and other Gorlok fans. After a few days off, we will come back hard at it because we face Rose-Hulman and then start conference play next weekend," said the Webster coach.
